THE KNOT. 53 



maining sometimes as late as the beginning of May, and as- 

 suming the fine red tints of plumage peculiar to their breed- 

 ing state before they leave for those northern districts in 

 which they produce their young. Dr. Fleming mentions 

 having shot one in Sanda on the 15th of June 1808 ; but I 

 am not aware of any record of the Knot breeding in the 

 British Islands, nor do I know of any British collection that 

 contains its eggs. According to M. Nilsson, the Knot in- 

 habits the arctic portions of Sweden and Norway in sum- 

 mer, but no description of the eggs is given. Mr. Dann's 

 notes on this species are as follows : " Except on the 

 coast of Scona and the southern parts of Scandinavia in 

 spring and autumn, these birds have not been met with 

 by me, nor have its summer haunts in Europe been clearly 

 ascertained ; there is, however, little doubt but that these 

 are in Finland and the north-eastern parts, as the bird 

 seems to make its appearance on the eastern coast of Scan- 

 dinavia first. It would be interesting to know whether we 

 are indebted to Europe, Iceland, or North America for the 

 vast numbers that appear on the eastern coasts of England 

 in autumn." 



The Knot visits Iceland and goes to much higher northern 

 latitudes every summer, as reference to the Natural History 

 details of the various Arctic Expeditions from this country 

 will prove. Captain Sabine in his Memoir on the Birds of 

 Greenland, says, " The Knot was killed at Hare Island in 

 June." On Sir Edward Parry's first voyage these birds 

 were found breeding in great abundance on the north 

 Georgian Islands ; and on the second voyage a young male 

 of the year was killed in the Duke of York's Bay on the 

 17th of August. Dr. Richardson adds, "Knots were ob- 

 served breeding on Melville Peninsula by Captain Lyon, 

 who tells us that they lay four eggs on a tuft of withered 



